The present invention pertains generally to aqueous detergent compositions suitable for use as carpet shampoos and in upholstery cleaning applications. In particular, said invention pertains to those types of carpet shampoo/upholstery cleaning compositions which are designed for, or adapted to, being applied to the soiled carpet or upholstery fabric of interest; dried to form a non-tacky friable film or powdery residue upon said carpet or upholstery fabric, said film or powder having trapped therein (or otherwise associated therewith) at least a portion of the soil, dirt, debris, etc. which is desired to be removed from said carpet or upholstery fabric; and removed by vacuuming away the resulting soil-containing friable film or powdery residue.
Carpet shampoo compositions adapted to or suitable for use in the above-stated fashion are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,859 to Kirn et al. (issued May 20, 1980); "Recent Trends in Carpet Shampoos" by Laurence R. Smith, Household & Personal Products Industry, October 1976 (pages 37, 38 and 72); and "Mechanism and Inhibition of Carpet Resoiling" by William A. Kirn, Soap/Cosmetics/Chemical Specialties, September 1980 (pages 39, 40, 42 and 44).
Carpet and upholstery shampoo formulations known to date (and as described in the foregoing references) have employed anionic surfactants (particularly, water soluble salts of fatty alkyl sulfates or of sulfated ethoxylated fatty alcohols) as the primary shampoo surfactant ingredient and have apparently also been known to utilize, as foam builder or stabilizer ingredients, materials such as sulfosuccinates, sarcosinates and amine oxides as well as alkyl amides, alkanol amides, amphoteric cycloimidines or imidazolines.
Compositions of the type described above appear to have gained commercial acceptance and to generally function in an acceptable fashion for their stated purpose. Nonetheless, there continues to be a need or demand for new and different shampoo formulations (and/or for alternative ingredients or components suitable for use in same) in order to provide carpet/upholstery shampoo manufacturers enhanced flexibility and freedom of choice in terms of the character, availability, cost, etc. of components or ingredients suitable for incorporation into such carpet/upholstery shampoo products. In short, there is a continuing demand for new and improved and/or more economical carpet/upholstery shampoo products or formulations.